


noted

by catnurse



Category: Code Horny Boys
Genre: Gen, Original Characters - Freeform, Relationship Study, umm..thats it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 04:13:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17615261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catnurse/pseuds/catnurse
Summary: "I'm going to be evil this time.""Whenever you say that, you end up being an angel.""Well, I don't lie!""Liar."





	noted

**Author's Note:**

> this was all based on a text post i saw about video game routes

"I'm going to be evil this time."

Clementine hears the words come from Oliver's mouth as he begins a new game, and she instantly doubts it. "Whenever you say that, you end up being an angel."

"Well, I don't lie!"

"Liar."

The club room is empty, aside from the two there, with Oliver sitting with his knees to his chest on a chair, with Clementine on the table, her legs dangling off and kicking. Oliver clutches his Nintendo DS in his hands, and Clementine hears the blips and bloops simulating characters' voices through the gritty speakers. Everybody had already left -- Clem laughing at Oliver for getting flustered when Lucille waved at him, and then him returning the favour when Mina smiles at Clementine -- the remnants of chords and vocals hanging over the room that feels so empty without them. The sun is beginning to set, the sky dripping with blue and pink and orange, which is happening much too early thanks to the Winter season. Although, Oliver's mother _is_ late by two hours. 

Oliver asked Clem one evening, "Do you want to get a ride home?" which was strange, because not a lot of people ask her things like that. More often than not, she walked home on her own. Petting stray cats, vandalizing brick walls with Sharpies, racing herself to the small place she shared with her older brother, who was usually already home by the time she was. A part of her wanted to be there before him and scream as soon as he got home so he'd think she was being murdered, or something.

That's enough motivation to accept the offer.

When she didn't respond, Oliver cleared his throat and continued. "My mother decided to come home for the evening, and since she's picking me up, I was wondering if you wanted a ride home. She'd like you."

"Is it because I'm also Asian?"

"Basically."

And so, every time Oliver's mother decided to stay the night, Clementine got driven home. 

It's 6:31pm, which is what her phone tells her when she takes it out of her pocket. She _could_ have gotten home already, could be sitting on her bed playing something that isn't whatever Oliver clearly isn't being "evil" in. But really, it's nice when they drop her off at her house, and Oliver gives her a small smile and a wave, and a「さよなら」from his mother, before she speeds off. Something she's never really experienced. But she'd never tell anybody that. 

Whenever she's in the car, Clem always tries to take everything in she can, and she knows that Oliver's mother is a sharp woman -- long dark brown hair tied into a low ponytail, with a sharp nose and high cheekbones and thin lips, always wearing black blazers with pencil skirts or dress pants and tired eyes running on 32 hours without sleep.

Clementine noted that Oliver must look more like his father.

Sometimes, Clementine wants to ask Oliver's mother things. Why her makeup is always smudged, why she grips the steering wheel so tight, why Oliver can never bring lunch to school because they have none so Ciro or Lucille or Mina or anybody else in the club have to bring him some, and why she raised her son in such a way that he feels like a nuisance just to ask for something small like help with tuning Bassandra, and why she can't come home at least once every day to ask how his day has been, and why Clementine can't think of her as a kind mother-figure as opposed to her own because they're so, so similar. She wants to ask those things, but she can't, so she clenches her teeth and Oliver says that in the car is the quietest she's ever been. 

One time, she mentioned her thoughts, just to Oliver. "Your mother sucks ass," was all she could say, as they watch said mother's car turn the corner near the school.

After a pause, he nods slowly. "Yeah."

"She should like, come home. It's bullshit." The car had pulled up before they could continue, and when Oliver sat down in the front seat, his eyes were glassy. 

When he gets home, he's always alone, and he tries to make that happen less and less every day. By asking for people to come over every other day, nervously wondering if anybody is up for FaceTime calls and online games in the chat. Oliver talks in the chat, often -- he gives updates on what he's doing, like "just gave bassandra new strings!" or "my cat is sitting on me!!!!!!!!" and, even if sometimes she forgets to reply, Clem always puffs out a laugh. Even if it's him trying to make himself not cry. 

Clementine noted that Oliver doesn't like being alone. 

It's annoying how much he cries, but in a way, she admires how he can do that so easily. She has to admit, she feels a little protective of him -- in the way that you'd feel protective of a stray dog you just met, or a worm on a hot sidewalk. Like if you leave them alone, something bad might happen to them. And of course, she can only show this by scaring the shit out of him. 

Suddenly, Oliver's ringtone -- probably something from that game he plays -- breaks Clementine from her thoughts, and he picks up in a hurry. He begins to speak to his mother, and with his eyebrows furrowed she thinks he looks like a Shiba Inu.

He hangs up and eases (forces?) his expression into a smile. "My mother's here." 

Hopping off the table, Clem thinks about how much effort it her took to get on it, before swinging her bag over her shoulder and turning to Oliver, who's returning his DS to the front pouch of his backpack. 

"Did you act evil?"

"...Being mean isn't nice."

Clementine noted that she and Oliver are totally different.


End file.
